Type-writer case-shift mechanism.



J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER CASE SHIFT MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION TILED NOV. 17, 190B. 1,01 3,264, Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV.17,1908. 1,1 3,9364. Patented-Jan. 2, 1912.

s SHEETSSHEET 2f J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER CASE SHIFT MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV 17 1908.

13013364.. Patented Jan.2,'1912.

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JESSE ALEXANDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I). N. THAYER, 0F NEW YOBK, N. Y.

TYEE-WRITER CASE-SHIFT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be,it known that L Jnssn ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism, of which the following is-a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines and is particularly with improvements in the case or type-shift mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide means for shifting the type-bars to bring the upper case type or capitals into proper relative printing position with respect to the platen; to simplify the construction. for this purpose, number of parts whereby the lightest possi ble impulse will be required upon the shift key to accomplish the shifting operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which, V

Figure 1 is a front elevation, chine frame in port or cradle.

with the Illa- Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 Fig. 1, showing the mechanism in position to print lower case type. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the typebar mechanism shifted to position to print upper case type. a detail view in plan and sideelevation of that portion of the typewriter frame which contains the type shift mechanism runway.

In the embodiment of my invention here'- in selected for illustration, thetypewriter comprises the frame. 1 having a suitable cross-bar or support 2 at the rear to which the key levers 3, and type shift lever l, are pivoted as at 5.

6 indicates a type-bar support or cradle 7 in' which slots the heels of the type-bars 8 are pivoted. The cradle or type-bar support 6 is supported upon the upright members 9 which as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are provided with antifriction rollers 10 which engage the side walls 11 of runways 12 in the upright members 13 of the machine frame.

The mechanism for actuating the type- Type-Writer Case-Shift.

and reduce it to the fewestsection, of the type-bar supv upper case position Fig. i is.

. Patented Jan. 2, 1932.

Application filed November 17, 1908. Serial No. 462,991.

hereafter described forms no part of the present invention as thesame is c vered by my copending application, Serial 33o. 462,990; filed 17 day of November, But for convenient reference stated the same consists ofthe actuating levers M. which are connected by means of links 15 to the heels 16 of the type-bars. The lower end of each actuating lever 14: connected by means of. an arm 17 and the pin and slot connection18 to The outer ends of the type bars when at rest are supported upon a web or flange 19 secured to the machine frame.

The case or type shift mechanism proper comprises the levers 20 which are pivoted upon either side of the machine frame asat 21 and are connected at'their forward ends by a pin and slot connection 22 with the lower ends of the supporting arms 9- of the type-bar support or cradle 6. The rear ends of the levers 20 are connected with the shift key 4 by means of a link 23.

In the normal position of the type-bars or that indicated in Fig 2, or when said bars are in position to bring the lower case or small type 24 into printing; position, with respect to the platen indicated in dotted outline25, the type-bar support 6 will occupy the lower position as indicated in said figure. When it is. desired to shift the type-bars to or-:that illustrated in Fig. 3- the' shift key 4: is depressed whereby through the link connection 23, and lever 20 connected to the supports 9 of the type-bar support or cradle 6 said type-bar support is raised or shifted to upper case position as shown in said Fig. 3. The effort necessary to accomplish the shifting operation is ma terially lessened by the simplicity of the construction, the few parts and the action of the friction rollers 10 against the side Walls 11 of the runway 12 in the machine frame. In order to permit the type-bars to be supported at their outer ends by the support 19 case position, the bases of the slots 7 of said type-bar support are inclined as at 26 so that as the type-bar support is raised, the type-bars will merely revolve slightly about. their pivot points and their outer ends will remain at rest in contact with the support 19. Also to permit the shifting of the type bars without interfering with the actuating connection between the actuating lever 14.

it may he i the key levers when'said' bars are shifted'to upper out departing thereof.

and the link 15 by which said lever is connected to the type-bar; said lever 1% is slotted at 27 to permit the pivot pin 28 of the link 15 to rise therein during the shift mg position with respect to the platen 25 when said type-bars in their shifted p0sition are actuated by the type-bar key levers 3. When the printing of an upper case letter or upper case letters is completed, the

shift key is released whereupon the typebar support and the connections thereto will by gravity resume their normal or lower case position.

'.While I have herein described a particu lar embodiment of my invention, it is to be, understood the same may be altered in detail and other arrangement of parts with- What I claim is? 1. A printing and type shift. mechanism for typewriting machines, comprising a from the spirit or scope movable type bar support, type bars carried thereby, actuating levers for said type bars extending parallel With said support, sliding connections between said type bars and actuating levers, a shift key and connections between said shift key and said type bar support for moving said support to bring said type bars to upper case position.

2. A type shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a frame having vertical runways therein, a type-bar support having guiding arms located'in said runways, said arms having antifriction rolls .to engage said runways, a shift key, and

operating connections between said keyand support arranged to permit rectilineal movement of the latter to and from upper case position.

3. A type shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a frame having straight. run-Ways therein, a type bar sup.- port hav-ing depending guiding arms located adjacent said run-Ways and having antifriction rolls to engage said run-Ways, a

shift key, and lost motion connections between said key and support to permit rectilinear movement of the latter to and from upper case position.

JESSE ALEXANDER, 'W'itnesses R. C. POWELL, CHAS A. PEARD. 

